The Nine Story Hotel

rooms available. payment in cash or gold only.

When the bell on the new shining crescent teak desk dings Arthur Pinch appears, stepping into the frame of the front desk from the right, behind glass and shining, solid brass bars, an eel slipping into your bathwater.

He clears his throat and squares his shoulders.

One deep clean breath in through the nose he looks down at you from:

Good evening. I am Arthur Pinch, head concierge of the Nine Story Hotel.

And yes my dear patron it’s true, the Nine has undergone necessary repairs and renovations in the past month and is once again fully restored and open for business. As you no doubt saw outside, the vacancy light is… ON.

What’s that? No… Payment is in cash only I’m afraid. We do not accept checks or cards. But what the Nine lacks in those facilities it makes up for in history, amenities, and most importantly, discretion…

As you can see there is a full bar, though be warned, Bishop, the bartender, is a foul little amateur philosopher with the mouth of a sailor, but I assure you he makes the best cocktails at any establishment in the city.

Yes? Of course. Let me check… Yes, we have a single Queen suite available. May I see your Identification so I may finish checking you- thank you.

Besides the bar there is a full service restaurant, the lounge you can already see. Here, you’ll be staying on the north side of the north wing on the fourth floor. Room 482. Here’s your key. Do not lose it. Yes, I know, it’s an actual key… No, I assure you it will work in the lock. No, wait, could you let me finish…

Yes… Thank you. You just take the north great stairs up to the first floor. No, no, this is the lobby. You take the. You take the stairs to my right. No, not your right, my right. Yes, those. You take them to the first floor, and you’ll soon be in sight of the elevator.

The Elevator operator is Valentine. Mind you he is blind and sometimes cryptic… But… Very polite. No, we have an elevator operator. Do you want your ID back? Because I could shred it?

Yes. Well, Valentine will see you to your floor, then head down the hall. You’ll notice the halls are generously spacious here at the Nine. Make your way down the hall, and your room will be on the left, after the second crossing hallway.

Yes, exactly. We also have a pool, laundry service, full breakfast service in the morning, and if you need anything you can dial 0 for me at the desk or 1 for me at the desk for an outside line. I should warn you that we have no wifi, and cellular phones just, well they just don’t work very well here in the hotel.

The 8th floor is a private residence and therefore strictly off limits, and do not ask to be taken to the basement. That’s not where the pool is. Mistakes have happened.

Checkout is at 1pm sharp. There are no late checkouts. We do offer wake up call services. And if you need anything, and I do sincerely mean ANYTHING… once you get up to your room and settle yourself, just dial 0 for the front desk.

Oh, and here. I just needed your information. Payment is due on checkout. And I WILL need that key back. Be very careful not to lose it. Yes, no, cash only. Gold works as well. There is a pamphlet in your room, yes, it lists all the amenities, I assure you.

Oh, and before you go, please do respect the privacy and discretion of the other guests. Everyone is here for a reason, just as you are. And that reason is never anyone’s business but their own.

Yes. Yes. No…. No… Ahhhh, yes. Do have a good night. Welcome, and enjoy your stay at the Nine Story Hotel.

As soon as you’re out of earshot Arthur blinks, cracks his neck, prays to himself for someone to need their fingernails pulled out soon. Exhausting plebians, he mutters. Arthur Pinch recedes into the darkness of his office, his sanctum, marking the room he’s given you on a sticky note in thick black marker. He posts it on a crowded whiteboard far back in the shadows of his personal priory where no one can see but him.

The Nine Story Hotel is a collaborative horrornoir publishing project from the mind of Will Christopher Baer, creator of Phineas Poe. Both a Substack publication and future print anthology, a sort of soft reboot of the Velvet Forum community. All are welcome at the Nine.

Expect to see new and exclusive stories from Will Christopher Baer, Craig Clevenger, Craig Wallwork, and others to be announced soon, along with some of the freshest, unique, disturbed, and amazing work from an entire new crop of talented authors and contributors you’ve not heard of… Yet.

The Nine Story Hotel weaves characters and their stories inside of the Nine, criminals, murderers, thieves, junkies, madmen, the desperate, people trying to disappear, all creating a puzzle box reality to reveal itself as time passes and stories mount and connect. The Hotel is a universe all its own.

New posts, stories, and serial content every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

This Monday: Burdens by Ryan Corle

Tuesday: The Tranquility of the Unbothered Mind by Ute Orgassa

and Wednesday: Althea Parker Stories Pt. 1 by CJ Stockton

Pay attention to what’s coming Thursday and after.

On a metal plate in Arthur's office are scratched the following house rules

1.everyone at the 9 gets what they need.

2.some get what they want.

3. some what they deserve.

4. some leave in a box.

5. some disappear down a drain in the boiler room floor.

6. some never leave at all.

There are no other known possible outcomes.

The Vacancy light is on. Come check in and Arthur will find you a room.